Montale Aoud Lime

Of the Montale Oud fragrance samples I have, Aoud Lime has to be the strangest. I find it quite difficult to write about. Although rather compelling in a way, Aoud Lime is quite an austere fragrance, aloof and even a bit forbidding really. Notes include Pakistan oud, rose, iris, amber, patchouli, sandalwood and saffron. Reading these notes, I am left more confused than ever. Aoud lime does have oud in abundance, medicinal, tart and tangy, which no doubt is augmented by the heavy overdose of saffron. I'm also confused by the word lime in the title. Does this mean citrus lime, or lime as in from the Linden Tree? Either way, I don't get a lot of florals or citrus in Aoud Lime. It starts dry, medicinal, tart and pungent, and remains that way for most of its duration on my skin. I also detect very little rose or iris, zero amber, hardly a smidgen of sandalwood and nary a breath of patchouli. What I get is saffron and oud from start to finish. I thought the use of sandalwood and amber would sweeten things up a little, but Aoud Lime has to be the dryest and most austere Westernised Oud scent I've encountered.

If this summary leaves you wondering whether I like this or not, then you are best off knowing that I'm not really sure myself. Some days I can bear Aoud Lime, and perhaps even like it. On other days I'm either bewildered or slightly repulsed. As I mentioned earlier, it's very difficult to write about Aoud Lime and really convey what it is like to wear it. If you enjoy oud, then I think you will at least gain something from sampling this. If you don't like oud to start with, then I think you are going to struggle from the word go.


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